Respect for the Weather

It doesn't rain much here. Sometimes it rains, a damp drizzle. A dew, really. This could be why we have had four major fires in the last two years.

 In the years since I have lived in Santa Barbara, I have experienced some REALLY good rains; storms that flooded streets, felled  large trees and brought hillsides, sliding across the freeway into the ocean.  Last week we had one of those big weather events. I had been looking forward to it for days. Ever since I got my dad's old iphone, I have been a fan of the Weather Channel app. I check the ten-day, the thirty six hour and the hourly forecast every day. Multiple times a day, actually. While some people are checking Facebook, I am checking the Weather Channel. This storm system  was a big one with the promise of heavy rain with thunderstorms, cold wind, hail, low snow levels, large swells, water spouts and possible tornadoes.  Being members of the irreverent club meant that Jill and I headed out for a lunchtime adventure at the Wharf on Tuesday.  She came dressed in foul weather gear. I came in a skirt and a "rain coat" I bought in 1996 on sale at Macy's and a rain hat given to me by my mother Christmas of '95.  The swells were high, bringing the ocean surface to within feet on the Wharf. Jill walked out to the edge for a better view. We had shrimp tacos at the Crab House at the end of the Wharf, warming our hands around cups of green tea.  Afterward, we drove down Cabrillo Blvd. to see the boats that had washed up on shore. The tide at East Beach was all the way to the parking lot. We both took our naps under the cover of pitter-pattering rain on our respective rooftops. There could be almost nothing more delicious.

I heard from My Mom, a reliable source of news, that there was a "tornado" like event that brought down several trees that crushed several cars on Haley Street. There was a woman trapped in one car with a seven-week old baby. We hoped she was able to breastfeed- I can't imagine being trapped with a crying newborn in a crushed car in the rain with post-partum hormones.   Jill reported that something like a dozen boats washed up on the beach and one sunk right off shore. These were boats moored outside of the harbor, where the rent is a lot less expensive.  I haven't heard about any mudslides from the recent fires, in fact, I think I can actually SEE the grass growing on the mountains. They are getting greener by the day.

 My kids and I were a teensy bit sad to see the rain retreat on Friday. The forecast calls for 70% chance of rain on Monday and Tuesday, so we are feeling a bit better. crazy, I know. But too much sun isn't good for anyone.